I have been released on license – What does this mean?

Many people are released from prison in advance of when their sentence was due to end and, because of this, they are released ‘on license’.

If you were sentenced to more than a year in prison, there is a chance that you will be released into the community early on license. This can also mean that you are on a home detention curfew, which is also known as being ‘on tag’.

What are mandatory license conditions?

If you have been released on license, there are many standard rules that you must not break:

You must keep in contact with your probation officer at all times. Make sure that you notify them of any changes in your circumstances (i.e. if you are staying somewhere else for a night). You also need to tell your probation officer if you change your phone number.

You must be well-behaved and be sure to not commit any crimes.

It is vital that you live at the address that your probation officer has approved. If there is a reason that you need to leave that address, you need to check this with your probation officer.

If you are thinking of getting a job, this needs to be approved by your probation officer.

Attend and be on time for all of your probation appointments.

Do not turn up to your probation appointments under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Do not make any offensive comments during your probation appointments.

Do not make arrangements to leave the UK whilst you are on license. In exceptional circumstances, permission may be granted for you to leave the UK. However, this is rare.

What happens if I break the mandatory license conditions?

If you break one or more of the mandatory license conditions, you may either be given an official warning or be sent back to prison.

A decision is made quickly in these matters, so if you break your license conditions you could find yourself on your way back to prison within two hours.

It is worth noting that the prison you are sent back to will most likely be your local prison, and not necessarily the one you were originally released from.

What if I’m on a home detention curfew?

If you are on a home detention curfew, this will usually mean that you must be at your registered address between the hours of 7am and 7pm.

If you break this curfew, the tagging company will alert the authorities and you could be given an official warning or sent back to prison.

If you are arrested for whatever reason, click here to know your rights.